5.27.2013

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart...
Jeremiah 1:5

How far along are you?
23 weeks
Best Moment this week?
The three-day weekend spent with my family. It was a great reward for submitting my research poster. Baked cookies with my little princess Saturday; enjoyed a race day/basketball day on Sunday; and of course grilling out with family on Memorial Day.
Best of all, I was on call this weekend and still able to go to a full Mass on Sunday without any distractions or pages from my beeper!
Prayer requests?
Healthy pregnancy
Keeping up with exercise and eating conscientiously
Baby's growth?
Baby D3 is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango)
Symptoms?
Some nausea the later part of the week
More back pain usually when lying supine. Hence not getting a super restful sleep
Medical Stuff?
Thankfully healthy
Weight gain (or loss)?
+25 lbs
Weighed myself yesterday and it was +24, obviously fluctuating here
Exercise?
Zumba with wrist weights -3x
Gabby Reece pregnancy video - once
Cravings?
Sweets
Smoothie with boba
Food Aversions?
Nothing really
What Made Me Cry this week?
The tornado disaster in OK
Kids hurt and lives lost (schools, homes)
Sleep?
I need tons!
Maternity Clothes?
Mix and match of maternity and nonmaternity
Ootd deets: maternity top from motherhood maternity, work pants from motherhood maternity, necklace from zulily
Gender?
We don't know. It's a surprise
Movement?
Feeling baby D3 move esp finally after a meal. He/she loves being fed
What I miss....
Nigiri sushi
Moscato
What I'm looking forward to....
My birthday weekend!!!
About the rest of the family:

I'm not the only one with a sweet tooth. Ms. Isabel loves cookies too.

Linking up with Sarah and other growing bellies at my pregnancy journal.

5.26.2013

Racers: it's the greatest spectacle in racing
This Hoosier gal has NEVER been to an Indy 500 race. It's either I'm busy in school; I'm pregnant, I have a child I'm nursing, out of the country, etc etc.
Today's temps were perfect for race day! High 60s, low 70s and No RAIN!
There were also a record 68 lead changes!

Pacers: tonight is game 3 of the Eastern conference finals. Our support to our NBA team inspired our Sunday Mass outfit.

5.24.2013

I have been unhappy with how I am dealing with my kids in Church. I should not blame hubs for MOST of these because I started ALL of them.
Daniel was an "easy baby" as evident by my posts and gushing over him.
Isabel is a different story. I went on blog break, endured post-partum depression, plainly GAVE up on a lot of mothering things and now it's pay back.
She is a very active toddler. When Daniel was her age, he was content just sitting on momma's lap or singing. Ms baby #2 is Ms. Independent. She wants to be let loose!
So what did I do?
I gave in and offered cheerios and/or goldfish crackers. I thought what's the harm some parents do it in the sanctuary.
And suddenly I realized the books and soft toys were "out of the diaper bag" and transitioned instead to snacking during Mass.
My recent addition was dried Mango.... And last week, hubs brought a banana for Ms. Belle. oh my, I felt embarrassed when she ate that at Mass. (and we are those families sitting in front: our pew is pew #5!)

So anyway, I saw this post on catholicMom.com and felt that it was a nudge from God saying I should change my habits NOW, change how I deal with my kids in Church.

2.
Update on my poster:
At 11:25a, I turned in my poster to the visual arts media specialist! Yay!
Out of sight till I present my work in June.......... I will not linger much on that thought to avoid an anxiety spell.

3. What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend?
Me:
I'm actually on home call this weekend, so there won't be any hard partying or out of town plans.
But this weekend is hopping in Indy!
Sat: Indy 500 parade
Sun: The Greatest Spectacle in Racing: Indy 500; Pacers vs. Heat
And sometime during the weekend, ill have my pre-vacation pedicure appointment.

4. I may be "working" this weekend but I do have a reward come Monday. Since clinics are closed, I'm also off.
My family grills out on Memorial Day. My mom makes her famous Filipino style pork kabobs. Her secret recipe includes Mountain Dew!

5. I am so proud of our Indiana Pacers! "They could have stolen Game 1 from the Heat." per Mr. D. paul George threw an amazing 32-foot 3-point jumper with 0.08 secs left which pushed Game 1 to OT. That was an intense game. Derrick listened to it on the ESPNradio, while I kept refreshing my ESPN site on my iPhone. (we don't have cable/espn/tnt). The game ended late and I was already entering Stage 2 sleep when Derrick told me the pacers lost....
Game 2 tonight in Miami!
Indy, Go beat the HEAT!

6. What I Wore Thursday
You can even barely tell I am preggers here. I am still working on my looking-down pose. I love dressing up for clinic -- especially my own continuity clinic where I see patients of MY OWN. (meaning not following a staff neurologist, seeing their patients, etc). I still have to "staff" my patients. Staff here is used as a verb, meaning to run the history/physical exam and plan with the staff.
Outfit Deets:
Top: old nonmaternity from Banana Republic. I wore this top at 38 weeks pregnant with Daniel. That's how TINY I was then.
Cami: Old Navy
Skinny pink cords: nonmaternity from Old Navy
Peep Toe wedges: Calvin Klein via Nordstrom Rack
This is taken by Daniel. He says he cannot take a full body pict and show my shoes because I have long legs! Well, thank you son! Thank you for making me feel tall. Ish.
This pict would have worked out but it's dark.

Now it's just so much easier to pop these babies in the microwave. But the problem is the sodium content!

When I splurge, then I go to Starbucks and get their turkey bacon sandwich!

3. When I want something sweet, my go to breakfast sandwich is Nutella in toasted honey wheat bread! Oh yumm!
I add more goodness by squeezing some strawberry jelly or raspberry preserves. Sugar high alert!
Or most of the time i just add sliced bananas.

5.21.2013

Kids already in pjs, Derrick just got out of the shower.
Daniel: mummy didn't change. When is she going to get a bath?
Me: silent
Derrick: mummy gets a bath in the morning. She will change to her pjs soon
Me: thinking: do I stink? Or my kid is just observant?

Isabel is sleeping. Thanks to Derrick.
Daniel in bed, trying to fall asleep. Thanks to Derrick who read him a book.
Me: Daniel go to bed now, so daddy can put the baby to sleep. (Referring to D3 in utero)
Daniel: baby is in the tummy.....
Me: thinking: so?
Nothing gets away with Mr. Observant here

Finishing 22 weeks gestation
Best Moment this week?
Fun times at the speedway with my family
Prayer requests?
Better sleep this coming week. I've been waking up quite a bit and then staying awake for awhile..... Could not find a good spot, my back is bothering me, etc.
Baby's growth?
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. -from Baby Center
Symptoms?
Swelling on my fingers. Or maybe just fatty fingers. My engagement ring is getting toooooo tight.
Weight gain (or loss)?
+25 lbs
Exercise?Gabrielle Reece: Fit and healthy pregnancy workout - 2x
Zumba - once
Cravings?
Sweets --- anything sweet. Muffin, coffee cake, chocolate, ice cream. Hence the +++number wt gain above
Sleep?
Still getting 7-8 hours, or at least aiming to get 7-8 hours per night.
Maternity Clothes?
Mix of maternity and nonmaternity tops
Nonmaternity skirts, nonmaternity tights and dresses
Gender?
A lot of people think it is a girl. My mom is one of them.
Movement?
Love it when I lie down and baby D3 starts doing acrobats.
What I miss....
Nigiri, moscato, margarita
What I'm looking forward to....
Our family vacation is coming up!
About the rest of the family....
Daniel is the sweetest. He gives me kisses and my belly kisses too.

5.19.2013

These are the best pictures we could get, since:
1. we have a crying, hungry, sleepy child
2. I need to be dropped off at the NeuroSci center so I can work on my research in peace

pict one: I have 4 legs, photobombed by my Isabel
pict two: "look up Isabel" says her dad. "I refused to do it, daddy! I AM TIRED!" her gaze says it all.
pict three: Daniel, will you take a pict of mummy?

Unfortunately, as soon as I got to the neurosci center I splattered my lunch on my dress! nooooooo! The plan was to pick me up right before the 5:30p Mass. There won't be any time to change. If today is not a Sunday, I would have worn tights or jeans to work. Who dresses up to work on their research project? Some, but NOT ME.

It's amazing how plans change anyway.
I wanted the family to go to 10:30a Mass so after lunch I can just work on my project for the rest of the afternoon and evening.
It did not play out that way.

I got out of bed late and I wanted to work out. {I ate a lot of junk yesterday at the track/speedway}
The 5:30p Mass is somehow written in our blood now. No big deal, just a shift in the way I would work on my "to-do's" today.

I gave up my nap today so I could work on my project. And to successfully to do that, I'd have to leave the house. Or else, I'd be napping with those babies! Won't it be an awesome treat anyway? Go to Mass, drink boba (our Sunday tradition) and have the rest of the evening to play with my babies? Lucky me, I actually got to play with them this morning. So NO complaints here.

Sharing this Sunday's message by Fr. Roberts.
And I apologize about the link, the new bulletin is uploaded every week. So if you go to my old wiws posts and I mentioned a specific thing from Fr. Roberts' message, it won't be there. The updated Sunday's sermon is uploaded in its place. Sorry.

Hope you have a great Sunday and didn't have to go to work like me. Well this is no really work-work. I'm just sitting on a desk, staring at a computer. Hence the boredom and need to break to blog.

5.17.2013

7 quick (venting) takes
--- Warning: this is mostly a venting post, "woe-to-me" edition of 7qt... Feel free to bypass 1-6 and go straight to the 7th one as it is a treat (pix of my kids as usual!)

1. I was in denial.
Emails from February, March and April - disregarded. Emails with "research", "send your poster questions to", "deadline".
I was in total denial.

As part of our residency requirement, we need to produce some sort of research work. It's a 2-3 year project in the making. I started with my project during my first year of neurology that was in 2011. But serious work didn't start right away. I didn't receive IRB approval until October 2012 during a much freer rotation (an elective month). So why, oh why, don't I have anything to present?
Here's the equation:

Procrastination + more procrastination + pregnancy with Baby #2 + maternity leave + some postpartum depression and anxiety mixed in there that stopped me from doing anything! = I am a resident lagging behind on my research project.

2. Don't assume.
My fault, totally my fault, for thinking I would be excused just because I have extension of residency that therefore I have extension of this said project.
Well, well, well.
Surprise!

Said project is still due for research symposium on June 12th and poster due in a week! Talk about return of anxiety and stress....

And I know, I don't deserve sympathy. As my wonderful understanding husband said this week: weren't you given months to work on this project?
Me: Yes, Hun you're right.... and I gave him the look that said: don't rub it in.

3. Too distracted. meaning LIFE just happened.
What happened to the lady who finished research work ON TIME, the one who finished whatever left over from work AT home? That woman is gone. I come home and all I want to do is NOT think of work. My kids are very good distractions. I love to play with them. I just cannot work on things at home anymore.

---> No more dictations done at home. I tried it before and kids were yelling/fighting in the background. I don't recommend it.
---> No more working on research data unless kids are asleep. When they're asleep that pretty much means bedtime for me as well, so forget research at home.

I just finish everything I can at work. Notes, dictations, labs to follow up, patients to call etc.
Unfortunately, extra requirements such as research projects don't have allotted time slot per se during work hours. Some residents are lucky to have elective months as research months. I don't have a research month.

So when there is an afternoon free of clinic, free of dictations etc, I venture to my desk at the resident work room and do as much "research". Those afternoons are few and far between.

Forget working on your research during inpatient rotations! Being at the hospital from 8a-6p (sometimes 7p) is all I can take. I go home and no research done..... Why would there be?

If residents are expected to have a "well balanced life" then it's definitely hard to find that extra time to fulfill an extra requirement. Especially something on top of the important clinical work, readings we have to do, conferences we have to attend, evaluations we have to finish. And we still need to take care of ourselves: sleep, exercise, cook, bathe, take care of our children. There's not enough time in a day.

I know there is NO excuse. Requirements are requirements. Research is not so pressing like a patient to be seen, or a consult note to finish, or lab result to give to families. And unfortunately it was placed on the sidelines.

4. But I'm almost done!
As one colleague pointed out, get it done, finish it and forget it! You're almost done! Just 6 months of residency and that's it!
She made it sound so easy!
And she's right!
It's the light at the end of the tunnel and I am almost at the end of residency!

5. So might as well look at the brighter side of things eh?
By my next 7qt edition (i.e. next Friday)
- I'm done with the poster.
- it's sent to the visual arts media center and waiting to be printed.
- no worries about my research till July.

Wait... What?

Since my data is incomplete, I'm still required to present my "half-way done" work during the research symposium. And because I value working with my mentor, and I am NOT the type of person to quit in a middle of a project no matter how I behind I am: I'm still gonna see the project to its end.....

And remember my assumption above: my residency is extended because of three maternity leaves (yikes!) so I'll use the rest of the year to finish the work. Well...... Not the entire year. It better be done before baby D3 is born! Because there'll be no work done while I'm on maternity leave!
Let's just be real here!

6. Big holla to my sister and brother-in-law who celebrated their 5th year wedding anniversary yesterday!
Look at their anniversary dinner:
I'm drooling!

7. And as promised: here's your reward if you read 1-6 or just 6 or just scrolled straight down to these cuties:

I see them and their smiles and work stress is wiped away!
They empower me......

Now no more breaks for me. I need to produce a decent (half-done research) poster.

5.13.2013

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart...
Jeremiah 1:5

Close up of my zulily find {necklace}

How far along are you?
21 weeks
Best Moment this week?
Mother's Day
Prayer requests?
Healthy baby. Healthy pregnancy
Baby's growth?
Babe is 13 oz or more
10.5 inches long -- length of a carrot
Symptoms?
Some reflux. Not too major.
Amazing enough constipation has eased out. {must be all the spicy Thai food I'm eating}
Weight gain (or loss)?
+22 lbs - yikes
Cravings?
Boba tea
And soup.... Japanese Udon or Chinese wonton noodles...soup, soup, soup.
What Made me cry this week?
More Downton abbey tears shed.
And did you see my Mother's Day gift? A Downton abbey collection!
Sleep?
Lotsssss
Exercise?
3x - Jillian once. Gabby Reece's pregnancy exercises twice.
Her workouts are pretty mellowed down compared to Jillian's. I use heavier weights than what she's using on the DVD, just so I feel like I'm actually working out.
Maternity Clothes?
Stretchy tops and maternity jeans
Still tons of maternity and non maternity tights
This week's featured outfit: zulily
Maternity top from zulily
Necklace from zulily
Tights from VS
Espadrilles from zulily
Gender?
We don't know. It's a surprise!
Movement?
Love it
What I miss....
Not much
What I'm looking forward to....
Summertime
And I'm turning 30 in <3 br="" weeks...="">Hubs asked: how do you feel, hunny?Me: I still feel 29!

We've never been to the Asian fest..... Ever. Heard from a coworker that the feature country is the Philippines this year. And that I have to expose my kids to their heritage and culture.

You see, our folks were not active in the barangay club (Filipino club) here in Indy. So it was a miracle and God's plan (truly!) that I still found my husband and married a Filipino.

We have Asian friends. But they're Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesians. I did not have a Filipino friend except for Derrick. So you see it was meant to be.

Isabel ate pancit -- Chinese inspired stir fried noodles.
Derrick and I ate pork kabobs -- pork BBQ.
Daniel ate nothing. He played at the bounce house Ronald McDonald area. RMcD is not an Asian icon but still big in Asian countries! Here's an extra trivia for you: in the Philippines, rice is served with value menus in the Philippines.
Rice with fried chicken (not just nuggets)
Rice with Salisbury steak (not really a Filipino dish - just a Filipino-ized American dish)
Rice, rice, rice

5.10.2013

I was MIA last week for 7QT Fridays. You could say blogging break = not much exciting news in my little world.

1.Congrats to parents Martha and Jacob. I may be Mia writing-wise but I've been following her blog, waiting for the big announcement of their first born son. Oh the waiting... I truly felt for Martha reading her post last Monday. Waiting is the hard part.

And firstborns are notorious for being post-dates. Except for my little Daniel who came 8 days early! What?!Totally not the norm.

Which then taught me a lesson for baby D2. The waiting was a little horrible. Especially with the added ligamentous belly pain and knee pain (my fault for gaining >40 lbs)I was convinced that Isabel was going to be born post-dates just because she didn't come 8 days early like brother. I've heard moms delivering days to weeks early with baby 1, but delivering post dates with baby 2.

I'm only with baby D3 and people already asking if this is my last one. Answer: I don't know.OrWe will see after this third one....Because it's the truth.

Derrick and I are open to life. And since we are, it means for us more babies even with NFP. (I totally agree NFP is great at spacing kids.... That and breast feeding and pumping like a maniac like me)

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. --Romans 12:2We can't be pressured by this world... Even by knowledgeable doctors or well-meaning friends. I applaude Jen for not giving in to pressures of sterilization. Her situation is really tough and tricky to say the least, weighing risks of pregnancy due to a blood clotting disorder.

I honestly would not know where to start with my 'contemplation' process if I have a clotting problem or I'm a carrier of a neurodegenerative disorder gene except to pray, pray and pray.

Ask for his will.. To do what is food and pleasing in His eyes.

3. Now onto a little less heavy material and something more superficial and vain.Doctors have no sense of fashion.....I wore my hunter boots last Friday. All day in clinic. They're violet and glossy and super comfy. And yes, I've got courage..I've had (mostly older) doctors and (young) nurses asked me about my get-up. I had to educate them that they are worn by the Queen of England! And Princess DiCome on now!And though I was inside seeing patients for 9 hours, without rain or mud, I wore them all day. I was relieved that we had a downpour at the end of the day while picking up the kids.. See: worth the comments I got...

Which by the way started with my son asking in the morning: why are you wearing your boots mummy? It's not raining.And I answered: it's a gray day! I can wear them.....

And it's gonna rain here in Indy today. Look for someone in clinic wearing violet Hunter boots... It will be me!

4.We saw baby D3 on our second ultrasound.We bit the bullet and did not find out the sex. It's easier than what I imagined of the would-be stress -- not knowing the sex and all. I made such a fuss before because of my super planner attitude etc. maybe I'm just relaxed now because I've got a boy and a girl. Boy items, girl items......

What I'm truly saying: I'm not freaking out yet. - that I don't know what going home outfit to bring to the hospital. - that I don't know what color of extra towels I need to buy- that I can't shop for cute newborn outfits (Derrick is fine with this)- that babyd3 will be wearing whites and gender neutral outfits the first few days (which is fine because I'm probably not going to put a load of newborn laundry until I'm in stage 2 of labor)

I'm either just relaxed or just plain lazy now.....

5.After this month, I have 6 months of residency left. Woohoo!And I've got a very bad case of senioritis. Burnt out you say?

The first half of my fifth year of residency was filled with reading and researching articles etc..... My mindset was: this is my last year of training before I practice on my own, without an overseer to check my work. I better read more now and ask more questions and learn as much as I can. Slowly that mindset is slipping away. Maybe the fear has subsided?I just hope it's the pregnancy related tiredness that's giving me senioritis.So 6 months of official training with 8-10 weeks of maternity leave in between. It's exciting that ill be seeing my own panel of patients in less than a year.

6.I finally, finally watched the third season of Downton Abbey.I cried and cried. - Mary and Mathew's wedding- Lady Sybil's death- Carson singing happily after finding out the news of Mrs. Hughes' benign cyst- Ethel leaving Charlie And tons more moments. Another worth the wait season.

Some fanatics like season 2 a lot more. I disagree. It took me months to get over some twists and turns in season 2. And the war is just so depressing. However for season 3, I watched all 9 episodes in a week.

Was my mind prepared anyway for the season finale? I'd say so..... Still so sad to see Matthew and Mary and their baby during their last hour together.

7.Picture I'm sharing.

The famous alien shots of babies in utero.This is Baby D3 saying happy Friday y'all!

5.06.2013

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart...
Jeremiah 1:5

How far along are you?
20 weeks
Best Moment this week?
Finishing the mini5k and receiving my medal!
What scripture is speaking to you this week? Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27b
From this Sunday's Gospel
Baby's growth?
13 oz per ultrasound measurements
He/she is head down. But too early to heave a sigh of relief.... There's tons of room to move about. I hope baby D3 stays head down for <20 br="" more="" weeks.="">We saw the 4 chambered heart, spine, abdomen, kidneys, all 4 extremities, brain, cerebellum, diaphragm, profile shot. Symptoms?Doing well actually. No nausea or significant food aversionsWeight gain (or loss)?Uh-oh....Gotta slow down per OB.+20 over allGained 7 lbs in 4 weeks.Cravings? Food Aversions?Nothing reallyI love ice cream..... Gotta moderate and not eat 2 cups!What Made Me Cry This Week?Downton Abbey. I finally watched season 3 episode 1: Matthew and Mary's weddingSleep? Can't get enoughExercise? Only worked out twice last week bummer.Walked the 5K -- so that helped....My goal this week: go back to my DVDs. If Jillian michaels is too uncomfortable per OB, walking at least twice a week should be my goal. And the kids and I have just dance on the wii.. I should utilize those games again. Maternity Clothes?Nonmaternity and maternity tightsMaternity tanks and shirtsWearing my Hunter rainboots and putting them to good use before summerGender?It's a surprise! We had the 20 week anatomy scan today. We brought the kids to see their baby. We didn't get a glimpse if baby D3 is a he or a she. Movement?Absolutely. I love feeling his/her kicks. So gentle right now. Kinda like little love taps. About the rest of the family....Babies did great seeing another newborn last Friday. A little blurry.... Isabel was actually gentle. Touched baby Sam without prompting.

Drank so much of these smoothies while prego with Isabel. To moderate the cravings with baby D3, we go grab these sweetums with dinner once a week. The owners and servers know us.....And our usual orders.
(Even received something from their trip to Taiwan this year! Wink!) way to go regulars.

Here I am trying the front stance instead of the side view. Not a winner.